Category: Miscellaneous

Get the selection second from the top. Make this convincing. I like leaving a lasting impression of the card in the middle, so insert your favorite Victor/Marlo/Jennings/Simon/Pinkett-Smith control here. (After controlling the selection to second from the top, a nice subtlety is to do a triple turnover while saying, “And if I do a double turnover, you’ll see your card is not second from the top.” This is, I believe, a Jim Swain idea.)

Spread over the top two facedown cards.

“Your card will magically appear between these two cards. Watch closely.” As you say this, squiggle around the two cards to emphasize the fairness of your actions. Square them back onto the deck.

Snap your fingers; the magic has happened. Spread over the top three facedown cards and display them (without actually showing the faces) with an air of total, triumphant satisfaction. You’ll be met with dead-eyed deflation because, come on, you’re being a real tool.

“See. Your card magically appeared in between these two cards.” Milk the moment until it gets awkward. Just as they’re about to call the cops, extract the middle card from the sandwich and show it to be the selection.

This was the highlight of my privately circulated 1996 lecture notes. Be thankful I’m letting you read it here for free, you slovenly pig.

Listen, I’m glad magic takes itself seriously. And I’m glad the Kids These Days have an eye for making things look all shiny and dolled up. I know that sounds disingenuous, but it’s true. I’ll take empty professionalism over sequined vests and bowler hats any day of the week.

But you have to pick and choose what you find worthy of such grandeur. Does this really want for such an overblown trailer? I will ignore the fact that it looks like no Oreo I’ve ever seen (not in America anyway, maybe sextuple-stuffed Oreos exist elsewhere); it’s a feeble illusion, and doesn’t hold up as a showcase item (see here). So why are we advertising it like this? Is anyone fooled into thinking this trailer is little more than a fluff job for the budding film school hopefuls that produce this kind of shit? It’s like if Bozo the Clown came back on the air, but every episode was directed by Christopher Nolan.

Magic deserves better than Tora, yes. But this trailer is aiming just a tad high, eh fellas? I mean, let’s not lose sight of what the effect is…